Workplace Etiquette

Is Your Workplace Etiquette Sabotaging Your Career?

You may be traveling for business, but don't push your clients to wheel and deal around the clock. And while there is often shared social time, that's not a license to get intoxicated in front of them. Furthermore, your hotel room isn't a bar or an office. Overindulging in room service and inviting clients there (especially those of the opposite sex) could cost you dearly.

Travel etiquette tips: Before you venture abroad, learn about your destination's traditional customs, as well as the expectations for how to interact. Speak clearly and politely address people with titles. Also understand and appreciate the differences of your surroundings, instead of comparing it to your home and other places you have traveled to. When it comes to client-related business, be willing to develop a personal relationship first, but know when to draw the line. You are a guest, so make every decision with maximum respect and minimal intake of alcohol. That means keeping business and guests away from your hotel room and using room service sparingly and ideally.

As a gracious guest, you will be welcomed on a return trip and rewarded by your company upon your return home.

Happy hour etiquette mistakes

A company "social" event can lead to celebratory memories or infamous moments that can last a lifetime. Happy hour is supposed to be happy, but it shouldn't mean overdrinking, outlandish behavior or social faux pas.

Overstaying your welcome at the open bar will leave you with a nasty hangover and a hard-drinking reputation. If your boss has to carry you home, you're finished. Drinking is just one way to overdo it. So is arguing at softball with the home plate umpire, who's also your coworker. This kind of behavior will bring unwanted attention (and often pictures, too).

Other picturesque moments come when people mistake a business event for the dating game. Now is not the time to make eyes at your boss' wife or finally put the moves on your cubicle neighbor. If you think you're avoiding trouble by bringing a date, watch out. You've just taken full responsibility for someone else's actions and they could be worse than your own.Happy hour etiquette tips: If you're drinking at a company function, alternate between water and alcohol. This will keep you in line and you'll be able to leave under your own power. If you do go too far with anything, offer a sincere apology and some warm humor. It might be your only option. To avoid getting to the point of apologizing, remember that these are business events before social ones. Think about where you are and think of who your boss is. Treat everyone with the same respect that you would in the office. Instead of bringing a date, bring a gift that suits the occasion. It could be a Christmas surprise or some delicious home cooking and it won't carry the risk of future embarrassment.

If you respect your surroundings and enjoy without overindulging, happy hour can still be happy. We all make mistakes in any number of situations, but when it comes to business, the less, the better. With time being money, a substantial etiquette blunder can result in wasted time, lost money and, in worst-case scenarios, a no-expenses-paid trip to the unemployment line. So whether it's tomorrow's shift at the office or your next business trip overseas, remember that your choices in etiquette will ultimately reflect back on your company and your own professional persona. The way you handle yourself is a test of practicing good business as well as good manners. It's in everyone's best interests. As long as you don't screw up, you won't get screwed.